Heretofor, air bag cover constructions have generally included a vinyl or urethane outer skin, a semi-rigid or somewhat elastic urethane foam, on the order of 55 to 60 pounds per cubic foot, and a metal or thermoplastic insert, the latter designed to attach to either the deployment canister or the instrument panel. Such a construction is known as the SFI, or skin-foam-insert cover.
Another known airbag cover, the RIM/Scrin cover, is named for the reaction injection molding (RIM) process used to mold the microcellular elastomeric polyurethane cover. The scrim is the reinforcing netting laid into the tool prior to injection. The scrim is attached to a steel strip which is used to attach to the canister or the instrument panel.
Brown U.S. Pat. No(s). 3,887,214 and 3,756,617 disclose an SFI type of break-away pad construction including a pair of padded or cushion sections, each including a core of highly resilient material; such as foam materials. The core is enclosed by a protective casing formed of a plastic material, and the sections are interconnected by a joint of overlapping portions of the sections.